Lady Of Lyonsbridge. Ana Seymour

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      She hesitated a moment, then murmured, “Ah…thank you,” and dropped her eyes once again.

      “Does such beauty have a name?” he asked, and this time when she looked up he was regarding her with such a charming smile that there was no doubt of its nature.

      She hesitated, then said, “Rose. My name is Rose.”

      “How appropriate.” He took a step toward her, seized one of her hands and brought it to his lips. “I’m Thomas, Mistress Rose, most humbly at your service.”

      Was it her imagination or did the pulse seem to surge through her fingers where his hand touched her? “Thomas…?” she asked.

      He paused before he answered, “Thomas…Havilland.”

      She slipped her fingers out of his grasp and tried to gather her wits, but she could scarcely think for the rushing in her ears. She tried to keep her voice steady, her words logical. “And you say your men have all recovered, Sir Thomas?”

      “I believe so, all save Harry Streeter, who may have taken more than his share of the fatal stew last evening,” he added with a grin.

      “I’m sure my mistress is mortified that Sherborne fare caused such distress.”

      “Such misadventures happen. ’Tis the fault of no one.”

      She felt a quick flash of guilt, but mostly she felt unsettled and shaky. He was standing less than a yard distant. She took a step backward, willing her unruly senses to calm themselves. This was absurd, she chided herself. This knight had come to rob her of her independence, to carry her off to a cruel man who would become her husband against her will. The thought brought her strength.

      “I trust you will report as much to your master,” she said coldly.

      “My master?” He sounded surprised.

      “Baron Dunstan.”

      The dark brown eyes blinked in confusion. “I owe no allegiance to Dunstan, mistress. What would make you think such a thing?”

      “Have you not been sent by Prince John to fetch the lady of Sherborne as bride for Baron Dunstan?”

      The knight’s expression darkened. “I’d clean stable dung before I’d serve as errand boy to Prince John. As for Philip of Dunstan, I beg pardon, mistress, but if your lady is to marry him, then God help her.”

      “His name is Thomas Havilland, Lettie, and he’s not from Prince John at all. He’s simply a knight going around…I don’t know…doing whatever knights do.” Alyce sat on her bed, resting her head on her hands.

      Lettie sat beside her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Ye’ll just have to tell him the truth, Allie. Ye say he himself called Dunstan a monster. He’ll understand that ye were trying to protect yerself. He’ll probably admire ye for it.”

      “Will he admire that I poisoned his men?”

      Lettie was silent for a moment. “I think they’ve mostly recovered. And he does seem to be a nice man. Ye said he was courtly, Allie.”

      Alyce lifted her head. “I said he seemed to be courting me. No doubt for his own male purposes.”

      Lettie’s eyebrows lifted. “What do ye know about male purposes, Alyce Rose?”

      “I know that most men are without scruples.”

      “Those are yer father’s words, lass. He fed ye nonsense about men that was every bit as poisonous as the meat those poor knights ate last night.”

      Alyce’s tone was defensive. “Father always wanted to protect me. If he had known that I’d be sold in matrimony like a prize broodmare, he’d have moved heaven and hell to leave me enough money to pay my tribute to the king and free myself from the burden.”

      “Aye, lass, that he would, but I still don’t hold with the way he soured ye on suitors.”

      Alyce gave a little sniff. “I’m not interested in suitors, Lettie. I have the life I want.”

      “But what are ye going to do about this Thomas Havilland, Allie? He’ll no doubt guess that he has been tricked when he learns who ye are and realizes that ye were never ill.”

      Alyce rubbed her nose in frustration. “They’re just passing through he said. As soon as his men are recovered, they’ll be leaving. It will just be unfortunate that the lady of Sherborne won’t recover before they’re gone.”

      “Do ye intend to keep to yer bed?”

      Alyce gave a mischievous grin. “Lady Alyce will keep to her bed. However, milady’s companion, Rose, will serve as hostess to the knights in her place.”

      “Ah, luv, ye’re playing with fire again. If he should find out that ye’re deceiving him…”

      “I’ll be careful. ’Twill be an interesting experiment.”

      Lettie shook her head. “Ye know nothing about this man, Allie. Who is this Sir Thomas? He could be a brigand. Maybe he comes from Prince John, after all. He might be one of Dunstan’s spies trying to learn more about ye. Or he could be—”

      Alyce leaned over to give her nurse a hug, then jumped up. “Don’t fret so, Lettie. It matters not who they are. They’ll be gone soon. But in the meantime, I’m not about to stay cooped up in this tiny room while there are strangers downstairs to bring news of the outside world.”

      “And handsome strangers at that.”

      Alyce wrinkled her nose. “I don’t care what they look like, Lettie. I just want to hear their tales.”

      “Still, it doesn’t hurt to have a handsome countenance to look upon while ye’re listening to the news.”

      “Aye, it doesn’t hurt.”

      Lettie gave a knowing smile. “Ah, lass, it’s the height of injustice that that scoundrel Prince John intends to marry ye to an old man. Ye should be falling in love with a handsome young knight like Sir Thomas.”

      “I don’t intend to fall in love with anyone, Lettie. Women have a hard enough time clinging to their shreds of independence without clouding up their minds with ridiculous notions of romance.”

      “I don’t believe in romantic love,” Alyce declared in a voice somewhat louder than she had intended.

      Thomas looked up sharply from his lute. Several of his men had gathered around the big fireplace to listen to their leader sing one of his endless love ballads. It was a strange talent for a warrior as fierce as Thomas Brand, but it had served to keep them entertained many a miserable night on the long road to the Holy Lands and back. They leaned forward, listening for Thomas’s reply to the young beauty’s cynical declaration.

      Thomas let his gaze linger for a moment on their hostess’s СКАЧАТЬ